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I just built a new HTPC / gaming rig a couple of weeks back to replace my 5 year old computer. I'm going to sitting this generation out for a while. I'm pretty much done with multiplayer games, so I can just enjoy playing the backlog at max settings on my 1080p TV.

I think Bungie scored a big miss by not making its new game, Destiny, available for PC. It looks interesting. Maybe they will eventually port it over to Steam. I guess I'll just buy it for my Xbox 360 and play it off the hard drive. But it would've been nice to play it on my PC...which has better than Next Gen console capability.

I won't be buying the new consoles. They can't guarantee 1080p resolution in all games, and few will be running at 60fps. Those that do run at 60 will only be 60 some of the time, and not locked to 60 like on a PC.
I went from having all systems to an HTPC-only setup mid-cycle and have not regretted it one bit. Were there a couple of games I missed out on? Sure. But nothing I'm torn up about - if I really wanted them, I could have got another console.
There are only so many hours in the day, and I have less time for gaming as I get older, so it just doesn't make sense to own all the hardware now. I probably have a list of games I own but haven't finished yet, that's long enough to get me through this whole generation.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigfame

I wasn't talking about Launch Exclusives but Sony's Exclusives overall:

Ratchett & Clank - Created by a third-party developer that is now working on other platforms.
MGS V (hopefully it comes to PC) - Not exclusive, though no word on a PC version yet.
God Of War - These games are getting farmed out to other teams now without much success.
Socom (HOPEFULLY Sony finally goes back to what made this the Best Shooter Evar) - Good luck with that.
Uncharted (Plus Sony has Naughty Dog which is just Killing right now) - If there's another Uncharted game, it won't have been developed by Naughty Dog. They've moved on to other things.
Legacy Of Kain/Soul Reaver Series (Please, Please, Please Sony) - All of these have been multiplatform.

I just have a feeling that the PS4 is going to be what the PS2 was as far as games for Sony. This is why I Pre-Ordered the PS4

Don't buy things based on a "feeling" - wait until it actually has things you want.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bd2003

I've pretty much resigned myself to buying them both on day one, while keeping my PC up to date. There aren't any launch games I'm even excited for...but I know I'm going to get both eventually, so why wait?

Why wait? Maybe there won't be games that you want to play on them - or not for a long time, maybe the launch hardware will have problems as the 360 and PS3 did (though PS3s lasted a bit longer before YLoD) maybe there will be a price drop before the games you want are released. (Xbox One without Kinect for $100 less?)

Quote:

Originally Posted by barrelbelly

I think Bungie scored a big miss by not making its new game, Destiny, available for PC. It looks interesting. Maybe they will eventually port it over to Steam. I guess I'll just buy it for my Xbox 360 and play it off the hard drive. But it would've been nice to play it on my PC...which has better than Next Gen console capability.

Just because it hasn't been announced, doesn't mean there won't be a PC version.

If the poll ends up being a true barometer...some companies are in a heap bit of trouble. And Nintendo and PCs are excluded from that trouble. Because the poll suggests strongly that the majority of people are quite happy with what they have right now. And if the industry can give them that even cheaper. All the better. Bottom line...if true...after the wave of early adopters...look out for the tsunami crash of 2014...followed by massive price chops on PS3 and Xbox 360 to drive sales. While PCs and mobile scortch out of the gates with Oculus Rift. Sony's VR system may potentially save the PS4 from freefall...if they link it with the PS3 library in the cloud. But XB1 could be headed for "Skyfall" with Windows 8. Let's all hope this poll is just an outlier. Because we really do need all sectors clicking for a healthy industry. But it sure marries up to the mood of this thread...and friends I know.

It's going to be hard for me to stay away from the PS4, but I know that I'll upgrade my pc along the way. I'm not sure about the Xbox One. I'm not made of money so I'm probably not going to get that unless I win the lottery or something. This whole SteamOS/Steam Machine thing interests me a bit. The Linux world seems to be making some strides and if it starts supporting lots of big titles, I may convert. I'm running openSUSE on one of my old laptops and its' beginning to grow on me. Of course, I'm a bit of a tinkerer. I have Windows 7 Ultimate with virtual machines of Windows 8 Pro, Ubuntu, and ChromeOS and am dual-booting Windows 7 Home and Windows XP Home on my spare computer. And then, there is my iPad and Macbook Pro from work. I tried running The Witcher 2 from Steam on the Macbook Pro and it nearly puked. I'm willing to try anything for games.

Still, at the same time, I've been a hardcore early adopter my whole life... why stop now ? I bought the original Xbox on it's launch day. The 360 on it's launch day. Why not buy a XB1 on launch day ? I bought a PS1, PS2 and PS3 all on their respective launch days. Why wouldn't I buy a PS4 on launch day ? Why break the streak ? I totally understand that having a streak like this is kinda silly. I had a much longer streak going with Nintendo hardware, that dated back to late August of 1991. I broke that streak when I didn't purchase a Wii U (still haven't purchased one by the way). So, streaks are made to be broken.

Is this the first time since you've started gaming, that you've constantly questioned whether or not you 'need' the new systems right away? If so, that should be a sign to you that maybe, just maybe, you really don't need it right away. Right now there are so many gaming options, multiple systems, PC, mobile games, handheld, that it's starting to get a bit overwhelming for me. I've got a backlog staring me in the face that is more of a burden, something I feel compelled to do(ok finished that one, Sigh now on to the next one, rinse, repeat), rather than enjoying the experience each time.

I've decided not to buy into next gen until my backlog is cleared, by which point launch software will be cheaper, the bugs and kinks of each system have been identified, the second and third wave of games will be on their way, and so forth. If this generation has taught me anything, it's:

1) Wait for at least the first revision of a console,

2) Don' t buy games at launch for $60, because they'll be $40 within two months, and $20 after 6. I have too many games sitting on my shelf that I purchased at $60 months and months ago, haven't played them yet, and now they're like $20. Why did I buy them at full-price??!!

3) When a big-name title is being launched with a bunch of DLC/season passes announced alongside it? There's a GOTY version coming, wait for that with all content and save yourself $20 in the process.

I actually do need a new PC to replace my aging laptop, so I will likely spend the extra to make it a gaming PC. And, I will probably (re)buy a Wii U soon because my son is a big Mario and Smash Bros fan, so there's always the family-friendly Nintendo titles that make for a friday night of family fun. I can hold off on PS4 until 2015, and I'm really not interested in the Xbone right now.

Why do you buy new games if you don't intend to play them when you get them?

My backlog is the result of your number 2. I have so many games now because I waited for them to be $30 or under.

It's an easy problem to have if you use digital distribution on a PC, with all the games that get bundled together, such as the Origin Bundle a while back (Battlefield 3, Burnout Paradise, C&C Red Alert 3, Crysis 2, Dead Space, Dead Space 3, Medal of Honor, Mirror's Edge, Populous, Sims 3 for $6) or picking up a game you think you will want to play when it's $5 or less in a sale, but never quite got around to playing.

Sometimes whatever the latest thing is, is more exciting than a game that's been sitting in your library for months.

Why do you buy new games if you don't intend to play them when you get them?

r.

Exactly. It was a habit born out of ' I gotta have it NOW' syndrome. Fortunately in recent years I've become more patient and i have pretty much gotten over that compulsive desire to get the game right away.

@Chronoptimist - I did the samething you did mid gen and built a Gaming Rig/HTPC (2010) and have not looked back. I could not believe all the sales on Steam (I have not bought a game for over $30 in 3 years) and how graphics on PC just blew away their console counterparts. This will be the 2nd time that I have purchased a console on day 1 (other being the N64). I already have a PC, Wii U (loving Wind Waker BTW) & Vita. One of the main reasons I am getting a PS4 is the integration with the Vita. Hopefully streaming games outside of my home network works fairly well. I really like the Vita (awesome handheld) and being able to stream PS4 games while out and about is something I'm looking forward to. If any game on my list that I would really want is Socom. Sony & Zipper just really screwed Socom up this gen.

With my July-August rebuild I got the following games free with purchase at Micro Center:

Bioshock Infinite

Far Cry 3

Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon

Tomb Raider

Crysis 3

So far I've only fired up Far Cry 3 and Bioshock Infinite. I love them both. They are stunning games graphically. Especially Bioshock Infinite. I'm playing at 1080p 60 with no FPS drops whatsoever. I'll finish Far Cry 3 after Bioshock. I was really getting into it. Then I'll play Tomb Raider based on comments I read on the "Steam" Thread. Even though I absolutely must take a peek at Crysis 3 soon. I was playing Kingdoms of Amalur Reckoning on the Xbox 360 back in June before jumping whole hog back into PC. KOA was okay. But I was getting bored with the repetition. Even though it is a beautiful game. I wish I had bought that one for PC instead of console anyway. Next up for my Xbox 360 will be Darksiders 2 (after KOA). But it will be awhile . It's part of a pretty deep backlog I have on the XB 360. I still have Crysis 1 to finish and Crysis 2 to start on the 360 platform along with about 15 other new unplayed games. I got them all on super sale prices YRD. But I do plan to employ more of your logic. And slow down buying what I won't play right away. Way too many choices right now between my Xbox backlog and PC. And I'm having way too much fun with the PC.

I was planning on hitting up KOA but I had a hard time finding the mods people were recommending, so I gave up. The forum that people were linking doesn't exist anymore.

I just got FC3 from gamefly for xbox and am kind of disappointed, after first playing Blood Dragon on PC. Maybe it's the lower graphic fidelity, maybe it's the presentation, I don't know. When I look at the map and see all the towers, it feels more like work than fun. I wish I could rent it for PC in any case.

One of the main reasons I am getting a PS4 is the integration with the Vita. Hopefully streaming games outside of my home network works fairly well. I really like the Vita (awesome handheld) and being able to stream PS4 games while out and about is something I'm looking forward to.

I would strongly recommend that you wait for people's impressions of the streaming capabilities before purchasing a PS4 for that reason. I had problems with poor latency and quality streaming PS3 to PSP on a local network; I really doubt it will work well at all outside your home for anything other than streaming videos.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yrd

I just got FC3 from gamefly for xbox and am kind of disappointed, after first playing Blood Dragon on PC. Maybe it's the lower graphic fidelity, maybe it's the presentation, I don't know. When I look at the map and see all the towers, it feels more like work than fun. I wish I could rent it for PC in any case.

That's really how I felt about Far Cry 3 too - work, not fun. I did not enjoy the forced tutorials, being confined to a specific "mission area" and things like the crafting systems and towers felt like work. After Far Cry 2, it was a major disappointment.
I think that was the straw that broke the camel's back and got me to completely ignore reviews from now on, rather than only paying attention to one or two sites.

I sort of agree with you based on my 1-2 hour feel out of FC3. But I overall liked it. Especially the graphics on the PC. I am playing all of them with the Xbox 360 wired controller for PC. And that works fantastic. I will definitely circle back to FC3. But only after I finish BioShock Infinite. If next gen console games are just going to be like BioShock Infinite for the next 2-5 years, there is no reason for me to buy one. Because PC gives me the very best execution of the game. Right now next gen consoles are not even really on a bubble for me. I am totally okay with the Xbox 360 and new PC. I will most definitely buy a new Xbox Controller to link with my PC. And also the PC version of Kinect when it comes out.

Don't get me wrong on KOA. It is a beautiful and fun game. It just bogs down with way too many irrelevant side quests for me. They get boring. And when I take a time out from them...I find it takes me longer and longer to return. I have usually moved on to something else. Even though I generally like the game. The Lost Planets series was the same way for me. Not in the sense of side missions. But holding my attention, even though I liked the game. If MS offers KOA as part of their free Xbox 360 package...jump on it. And just buy the cheap DLC on the fly. Here is an interesting brain tease in KOA that caught my attention. Don't worry...it's not a spoiler. If you get the Mass Effect 3 armor & weapon package (by playing the free demo). The game suggests that KOA world is a future world formed long...long after the events of ME3. That was an interesting twist. It made me wonder whether I was just playing KOA as a reincarnated Shepard. You'll have to play it to see what I really mean.

BioShock Infinite is pretty, and the art direction is phenomenal. But the level design and gameplay left something to be desired. Then there’s the story, which was a convoluted mess most likely brought on my it’s 5 year development hell. Which stunk, because I loved parts of it and wanted to like the rest. But it just ended up eating itself, and ending on a giant clusterfrak cop-out.

It wasn’t a bad game, not at all. But it was way overhyped for what it ended up being (GOTY I think not). And it just couldn’t click to bring back the sheer fun of the combat and exploration in Bioshock 1.

I honestly liked Tomb Raider a bit more, even if it was more rough around the edges. The story was just as underwhelming, but the gameplay and exploration was top notch.

BioShock Infinite is pretty, and the art direction is phenomenal. But the level design and gameplay left something to be desired. Then there’s the story, which was a convoluted mess most likely brought on my it’s 5 year development hell. Which stunk, because I loved parts of it and wanted to like the rest. But it just ended up eating itself, and ending on a giant clusterfrak cop-out.

It wasn’t a bad game, not at all. But it was way overhyped for what it ended up being (GOTY I think not). And it just couldn’t click to bring back the sheer fun of the combat and exploration in Bioshock 1.

I honestly liked Tomb Raider a bit more, even if it was more rough around the edges. The story was just as underwhelming, but the gameplay and exploration was top notch.

Thanks for the info on Tomb Raider Tyrant. I'll try it after finishing BioShock Infinite.. These games are really piling up on me because of all the great deals. I almost bought another Asus HD7870 GPU over the weekend to Crossfire with the one I have...and get 2 more blockbuster freebies But I was uncertain what benefit I would actually get. from dual GPUs. And it could possibly make things worse with older games. So I backed away. The Micro Center Rep also told me that the 7870 will probably go on sale over the Black Friday holiday cycle for $89-$99. So I'll back off the cross firing wagon at least until then. What's your take on the benefits of cross firing/SLI platforms.

I think there's been very few worthwhile AAA games the last year or so really - they all feel like rehashes of older concepts with prettier graphics, but worse gameplay, and recently I've found that a lot of games have been full of filler content and forced tutorial sections that make them tedious to get started.
I've had a lot more fun with indie titles on PC this year, and going back to older games I had passed on before.
And in general, I think this generation of games will be one which is looked back on the least favorably. There's only a few really good games, despite what review scores would have you believe. (the scale seems to be 9-10 not 0-10)

I think there's been very few worthwhile AAA games the last year or so really - they all feel like rehashes of older concepts with prettier graphics, but worse gameplay, and recently I've found that a lot of games have been full of filler content and forced tutorial sections that make them tedious to get started.
I've had a lot more fun with indie titles on PC this year, and going back to older games I had passed on before.And in general, I think this generation of games will be one which is looked back on the least favorably. There's only a few really good games, despite what review scores would have you believe. (the scale seems to be 9-10 not 0-10)

I sort of agree. Especially about the tedious filler content. I have highlighted where I take a very slight exception. I really don't think this generation was the worse in terms of overall game quality and delivery (physics). Where it broke down for me was repetition of experiences. At a certain point they all started to feel too similar. And completely new IP was hard to find, since most of the big successes were carryover franchises from the prior 2 generations. The current generation was all about bringing most of those franchises 100% to bright. In that regard there was a lot of closure. But little real experience innovation IMO. That's why I am real excited about the next generation of games. I believe once VR happens, innovation will be unleashed in old and new games. And in ways that will ignite a stale market to my eyes. If VR for PC and Mobile gaming comes right on the heels of the initial console adrenaline rush, it could be "Katie bar the doors down". And the different formats could feed off one another's energy. I certainly hope so. Because I am set and ready to go with my PC for Immersive 3D/VR games, stories and experiences that are really designed to exploit the technology. In fact. Modded VR versions of the more linear games from this generation like Mass Effect could easily become the low cost Indie type stars of VR gaming on PC.

I think there's been very few worthwhile AAA games the last year or so really - they all feel like rehashes of older concepts with prettier graphics, but worse gameplay, and recently I've found that a lot of games have been full of filler content and forced tutorial sections that make them tedious to get started.
I've had a lot more fun with indie titles on PC this year, and going back to older games I had passed on before.
And in general, I think this generation of games will be one which is looked back on the least favorably. There's only a few really good games, despite what review scores would have you believe. (the scale seems to be 9-10 not 0-10)

I think alot of the 'innovation' is going to be more in indie development, the titles are lower budget so they can afford to take chances moreso than the major developers with these huge mega-million budgets for blockbuster titles. Most of the big titles this gen have been shooters, both FPS and TPS, and there's only so many times you can reinvent that wheel, so not surprising that it's all starting to feel like you're playing the same thing over and over, just different characters and settings.

Not sure I agree, unless you're specifically looking at the huge budget, AAA, everything needs to be a blockbuster games. Maybe its true of just FPS as well. A lot of them are just mundane.

Overall though, there's been a ton of AA and Indy games out there worth a look. Plus even some commercially "failed" AAA titles. Then there's the prices to consider!

I think were really in a golden age of gaming, and next Gen looks to continue that for at least the first few years. There's been a ton of really great games, and really good price points. So much so, I'm finding it hard to find time to get rid of the current gen backlog for next gen coming up in only 45 days or so.

Not sure I agree, unless you're specifically looking at the huge budget, AAA, everything needs to be a blockbuster games. Maybe its true of just FPS as well. A lot of them are just mundane.

Overall though, there's been a ton of AA and Indy games out there worth a look. Plus even some commercially "failed" AAA titles. Then there's the prices to consider!

I think were really in a golden age of gaming, and next Gen looks to continue that for at least the first few years. There's been a ton of really great games, and really good price points. So much so, I'm finding it hard to find time to get rid of the current gen backlog for next gen coming up in only 45 days or so.

It goes on and on my friends. And most of those are considered AAA or AAA failures. Yup, gaming golden age IMO as long as you're not stuck to one platform or genre.

Well I suppose it depends on your taste in games - I would say that most on your list are average or flawed games, and of the good games on the list, I think few are games people will want to revisit.

None of the Bioshock games are nearly as good as the System Shock games that came before them.

Personally I think Morrowind had a far more interesting world, and the way that Oblivion and Skyrim scale everything to your level makes them uninteresting; Elder Scrolls VI will probably iterate on the same formula and be a better game.

Fallout 3 will probably be the same; once Fallout 4 is out, few people will want to go back to 3. New Vegas is a lot more interesting than Fallout 3 was; hopefully Obsidian will be involved with Fallout 4 or have a similar project.

Call of Duty... I don't see the appeal. They did a good job ruining/revitalizing multiplayer with the levelling system, so credit where credit is due, I guess. People are still playing Quake/UT though, I don't see many people playing anything but the latest Call of Duty; I don't think it will last.

GTAV, same problem as Elder Scrolls; people won't really go back to it. GTA IV was one of the highest reviewed games of all time when it was released, and the general opinion of that just before V's release was not very good. People return to Vice City because the setting was interesting (80s nostalgia) I don't think that's the case with V or the other GTAs.

Little Big Planet was a great idea, but the execution was lacking. For a platformer, they really needed to focus more on the platforming physics/gameplay rather than all the level creation stuff.

Tomb Raider/Uncharted/Last of Us may be well made, but they have the problem of all being iterative and will soon be forgotten. Not much lasting about any of them. The later Uncharted games, and The Last of Us in particular have problems with having far too much tedious combat.

It will be interesting to see what happens with The Walking Dead. Like good adventure games of the past, I can certainly see people wanting to go back and play that any time from now. Though I don't know about replayability with it being so linear.

Have you actually tried going back to morrowind or system shock 2? They're so crude by today's standards that they feel almost unplayable.

I'm playing through Black Mesa (HL1 remake) right now, and if I'm being honest, the gameplay doesn't really hold up and the story is non-existent. If not for the nostalgia value, I'd probably just write it off as a bad game. Even the quake 1 single player is a struggle to enjoy even with completely updated graphics because the design is so archaic.

Black Mesa took way too long to develop. I had been waiting for that game for something like 4 years, maybe more. It could have had a bigger impact if they released it sooner. Now, I feel the same. The gameplay is just old. I downloaded it as soon as it was available and spent maybe an hour, probably not even. I haven't been back, I just can't be bothered. I loved the original and the interactions between the human AI enemies. Half Life-source should have been this, too.

Have you actually tried going back to morrowind or system shock 2? They're so crude by today's standards that they feel almost unplayable.

I agree that Morrowind is difficult to go back to from a gameplay perspective, but the world is still far more interesting, and even taken on their own, the level scaling and repetition in Oblivion/Skyrim just make them boring experiences.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bd2003

Even the quake 1 single player is a struggle to enjoy even with completely updated graphics because the design is so archaic.

That's funny; I just went back through Quake 1 via QuakeSpasm a couple of months ago, and it made me wish that FPS games were actually made to prioritize fun over anything else. Today's FPS design is almost totally linear and full of cutscenes you have no control over. They're also incredibly slow-paced compared to old FPS games; I guess because people have to control them with a gamepad instead of a mouse, and because the AAA ones are trying to be movies.

Similarly, I just went through System Shock 2 again when it was released on Steam and while it's certainly rough in places, I still think it's a better game than Bioshock.

Black Mesa took way too long to develop. I had been waiting for that game for something like 4 years, maybe more. It could have had a bigger impact if they released it sooner. Now, I feel the same. The gameplay is just old. I downloaded it as soon as it was available and spent maybe an hour, probably not even. I haven't been back, I just can't be bothered. I loved the original and the interactions between the human AI enemies. Half Life-source should have been this, too.

Most of the things that make it feel old, would have felt just as old a few years ago. It's just incredibly slow paced, with too many sections that leave you baffled as to what to do next.

That said, it's an incredible remake of HL1...but it's still HL1. I had forgotten how it's so much more of a platformer than a shooter, but it really needs more of a reimagining than a straight remake.

The best example of a remake I can think of is metroid: zero mission. It took the framework of the old game, but completely modernized it and added a bunch of new stuff to it. I'd love to see that kind of treatment applied to more old games, instead of just a rote remake that carries over all the old issues.